Understanding workplace expectations of candidates with experience in the for-profit sector is important for nonprofit employers.

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Interviews provide an excellent opportunity to assess talented boomers who are hoping to transition from corporate and governmental sectors to the nonprofit world. Bridgestar offers helpful tips for interviewing prospective sector-switchers.

• Ask open-ended questions. For example, ask, “What is important to you in a workplace?” instead of, “Do you like structure in a workplace?”
• Interview for results. For example, if you are hiring a new COO for your organization and managing budgets is a key role for this position, instead of asking, “Have you managed budgets before?” ask, “What outcomes did you achieve when managing the budget in your previous job?”
• Ask questions that give sector-switchers an opportunity to explain how their skills and passions translate from one role or sector to another.
• Probe for ability to manage and work in teams. For example, you might ask “Tell me about an example of your work with international teams. How did you manage a group of people you worked with so remotely?”
• Steer clear of personal, private, and discriminatory questions. The following areas are among those legally off-limits in interviews: age, citizenship (although you can ask if an employee is authorized to work in the U.S.), race/ethnicity, disability, gender, health issues, marital status, national origin, personal finances, family information, and religion. (The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has a complete list of things to avoid.) Make sure to avoid these areas even in informal conversation with candidates. If a candidate voluntarily discloses information in any of these areas, do not pursue the topic.
• Create consistency across candidate interviews. It is important for each candidate to be interviewed by the same individuals within your organization. At the same time, remember that each candidate has a set of unique experiences, strengths, and weaknesses—allow for opportunities to probe more deeply in different areas for each candidate.
• After interviews, use Bridgestar’s assessment grids to help you evaluate active candidates.

To view sample interview questions, visit Bridgestar’s resources library.

Click here to view the complete Hiring Toolkit: Navigating the Hiring Process.